Fire-esgape ladder



d. n. g.

VUNITED STATES` HENRY c. BENDEE, or MoNTeoM'ERYviLLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

Fl RE-ESGAPE LADDER.

u IsrEGIEIcATIolv forming pm of Letters Patent No. 239,921, dated `April 1a, `1881.

PATENT OFFICE.

Application led Jannary'25, 1881. (No model.)

Tocll whom it may concern Beit known that I, HENRY C. BENDER, of Montgomeryville, county of Montgomery, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an 1mprovement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to fire-escapes adapted to highbuildings; and it consists of the combinations, hereinafter'pointed out, of a flexible 1o ladder `capable of being wound upon a drum or run up against the sideof a building, in which position it has the essential features of arigid` ladder, said ladder being provided at the end withrollers or wheels, wherebythere will be less friction against the Wall of the building, and also to guidethe end of said ladder over the windows and their sills, and mechanism for balancing, supporting, adjusting, yand transporting said ladder, all of which 2o is more fully set forth in the following speci- Iicatiomshown in the accompanying drawings, whichform part thereof, and referred to in the appended claims.

Heretofore fire-escape ladders have been 2 5 jointed in sections and then raised bodily and braced, or they have been made telescopic; but these forms have serious objection in their construction andv adaptation to their designed purpose. J ointed ladders have also been made 3o and adapted to be wound upon a drum, and

inbeing propelled upward having the hinges locked when the sections are in a straight line, said ladders being propelled upward by means of a rope and windlass or by cog-wheels work- 3 5 ing in teeth on the side rails.`

In my invention I overcome all the difficulties which have heretofore `been contended with. The transportation is easily effected, the ladder can be instantly used without prep- 4o aration,'can be adjusted to anyheight to suit the building, isA effective in its operation, and durable in its construction.

.In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation ofmyimproved fire-escape. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of same. Fig.3 is a perspective view of partof the ladder and its toothed propel# lingcylinder. Figli showslatching mechanism at top of ladder. e Ais the frameof the apparatus, and is sup- 5o ported upon wheels B and provided with a pole, `and is adapted to be drawn by horses.

Supported in the frame A is a large drum, G, Which'is free to rotate in bearings., A

Located in front of drum G is a small toothed cylinder, D, the teeth E of which are spaced, 5 5 so as to catch every round of the ladder F. This cylinder D is supported and secured to a shaft, G, carried in suitable bearings in the frame A, and on either end and set at right angles are cranksH H, and on one end is 6o also secured a` ratchet-wheel, I, in which a pawl, J, works. Pawl J is pivoted` tothe frame A, and is kept in contact with ratchetwheel I by a spring, K, and is oscillated away from said wheel by means of lever L and I'Od. M. j

Pivoted to frame A, at N, abovethe cylinder D, is a frame, 0, which carries idler-roller l?, said roller being kept against the ladder t F by tensiou-springs Q, for thepurpose of 7o keeping the ladder against thebuilding.

The ladder F consists of a series of sections, B.` R', provided with wedge-shaped blocks S S on opposite sides, which prevent the latter being iiexible in one direction. Said sections 7 5 being pivoted together between the blocks SS and ends by the rounds T, as shown in Fig. 3, therefor, every round acts as a pivot. The sections` R lR' may be ,made of wood, strengthened by metal strips, and the rounds 8o may be made of metal. In practice it is preferable to secure the round to one of the sections to prevent turning when in use. By this .construction the ladder is made flexible in one direction and rigid in the other when straightened, and the lower end is secured to the axle of drum C. The upper` end, for a distance equal toor-a little greater than the width of a sidewalk, is made rigid, and is provided with guide or friction wheels Upon the 9o .end,whichv rest in supporting-standards V in the frame A when ready for transportation. Z is a supporiingroller.

The axle of the drum C is `providedwith cords W, the ends of which are securedto its 9 5 axle or auxiliary drums C. ".lhe cords are then passed over idler-rollers X on either side and the ends attached to springs Y. By this arrangement the ladder, when being lowered, is automatically wound upon the drum C.

Theoperation is as follows: 'Ihe apparatus being placed in position with the drum G next to the sidewalk landthe wheels B locked, the cranks H are rot-ated. The teeth E of the drum D raise the ladder by catching the rounds. The end of the ladder is projected upkresting upon supporting-roller Z, until the rollers or wheels U strike the wall, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. l 5 lthen the ladder runs up against the side of the house, the wheels U presenting the end catching in the window, and as the ladder is only capable of folding toward the house, if it were not supported, it cannot close or double up. rIhe tension-roller P keeps it against the wall. When it reaches the desired door the top is hooked to the window-sill by latch-hook r, which is pivoted to the top ofthe ladder at t, and is operated by a cord, p, from the ground.

I do not confine myself to the precise construction shown or described, for my invention consists, broadly, in a ladder ilexible inl one direction only, and capable of being wound automatically upon a drum, and mechanism to operate it. y

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a fire-escape, a ladder made llexible and adapted to be wound upon a drum, in combination with mechanism to propel the end of said ladder up the side ot' a building, and mechanism' to automatically wind the ladder upon the drum when it is being lowered, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a tire-escape, a flexible ladder capable of being wound upon a drum, in combination with mechanism to propel the end of said ladder up the side of a building, and self-adjusting mechanism to press upon the ladder and hold it against the wall, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

3. In a tire-escape, a ilexible ladder capable of being wound upon a drum, in combination with mechanism to propel the end of same up the side of the building, self-adj usting mech anism to keep the ladder against the wall, and mechanism to automatically wind the ladder upon the drum when being lowered, substantially as and for the purpose speciiied.

4. A ladder adapted to {ire-escape purposes, made flexible in one direction only and capable of being wound upon a drum, consisting of sections R R', having obliquely-cut ends, which, when the ladder is' straightened, leaves a wedge-shaped opening between any two adjacent ends, said sections being hinged together near the ends by the rounds T, and respectively provided on the outside and inside, at the middle of the sections, with wed geshaped blocks S S', yet rigid when straightened against the wall, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a tire-escape, a exible ladder capable of being wound upon'a drum, in combination with mechanism to propel the end of same up the wall of a building, self-adjusting mechanism to press upon, the ladder and hold it against the wall, and mechanism operated from the ground to secure said end to the window, substantially as and for the purpose speciied.

6. In a lire-escape, the combination of frame A, drum C, iiexible ladder F, toothed cylinder D, adapted to mesh with the rounds T of V said ladder, tension roller P, supported in frame O, spring Q, to press the roller against the ladder, and cranks H H, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a fire-escape, a exible ladder capable of being wound upon a drum, the upper section of which is long enough to reach over the sidewalk from the house to the machine, in combination with rollers or wheels U upon its end, and located on the sides, as described, to guide the ladder over the windows, and mechanism to press upon the ladder and hold it against the wall, as and for the purpose specilied.

8. In a tire-escape, the combination of drum C, ladder F, made exible toward the building, toothed cylinder D, adapted to mesh with the rounds Tof the ladder, shaft Gr, cranks H, or their equivalent, ratchet-wheel I, and pawl J, substantially as and for the purpose specitied.

9.y In a tire-escape, the combination of a sectional jointed ladder flexible in one direction` only and adapted to be propelled up the side of a building, toothed cylinder G, the teeth of which mesh with the rounds of the ladder, the end or upper section being made long enough to reach over the sidewalk from the machine to the building without additional support, lsubstantially as and forY the purpose specified.

10. In a hre-escape, the combination of a sectional jointed ladder made ilexible in one direction only and adapted to be propelled up the side of a building, toothed cylinder Gr, the teeth of which mesh with the rounds of the ladder, the end or upper section being. made long enough to reach over the sidewalk from the machine to the building without additional support, and friction-rollers U, located on the outside of the top of the ladder, said rollers heilig set far apart, and of sufficient diameter to clear the end of the ladder of the windowsill and guide the end over the window to the next story above, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

1l. In a dre-escape, the combination of a sectional jointed ladder made exible iu one direction only and adapted to be propelled up the side ot' a building, toothedcylinder G, the teeth of which mesh with the rounds of the ladder, drum C, small drums C', secured to the axle of drum C, cords W, and springs Y, to cause the ladder to be automatically wound upon the drum when being lowered, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

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12. In a fire-escape, the combination of a. l roller Z, substantially'as and for the purpose o sectional jointed ladder made flexible in one speeied. direction only and adapted to be propelled In testimony of which invention l`hereunt upthe side of a building, toothed cylinder G, set my hand. i

5 the teeth of which mesh with the rounds of the ladder, the end or upper section being HENRY C' BENDER f` made long enough to reach from the building Witnesses:

l-to the machine over the sidewalk, rollers U, R. M. HUNTER, stop-standards V, nd supporting or guide THOS. J. HUNT. 

